Our Carbon Footprint Is Getting Bigger
by John McLachlan
Sad, but true!
We are planning to build a relatively “green” house on Hornby Island. We’ll be doing things like having a green roof and collecting water off of it, using water-efficient appliances, insulating well and using double or triple-pane windows, possibly including some solar panels to help offset hot water heating cost, looking into “waterless” urinals (that’s a post unto itself) and also having a garden to grow some of our own food.
But really, let’s not fool ourselves. Our carbon footprint is going to be WAY bigger than it is living how we currently live.
Right now, we live in a condo in downtown Vancouver. With this mild climate of this city and the construction of towers, we spend about $600 per year to heat our apartment. We drive our car about 3,000 kilometers per year (2,000 miles) and most of that is for longer trips. The car now can easily sit for a week without use. We walk everywhere downtown. Darren uses transit for getting to work. We buy groceries a block from where we live.
We really do want to go as green as we possibly can, but it’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking how wonderful we are doing this when the realty is:
- We will live on an island which means there is even more oil needed to deliver products there not to mention just to get there ourselves
- We will have to drive to get most groceries and other supplies will require a two ferry rides
- A 1,500 square foot house will require much more energy to operate than a condo
- The infrastructure of a house means no shared facilities so I suspect our effect regarding resources (wood, steel, tile, paint, you name it) will be higher as well and all those products need to be shipped there
The good news is, we will live in a place that does make recycling easy, we can cycle to get small groceries if needed and I suspect that over time, Hornby Island will develop more of its own little economy whereby smaller farms can start to supply different products that can be bought on the island.
Affiliate link to Amazon.com
I think in time, we will be forced to use more locally grown products and learn to live with less travel off the island to get things. I am a firm believer that, like Canadian economist, Jeff Rubin says in his new book Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil and the End of Globalization, that we are in for a radical shift in where our products come from, whether that be food or hard items and we will be traveling a whole lot less once oil starts to really go up in price.
Being more self-sufficient is going to be a real asset.
Being more self-sufficient is an aspect of our decision to move to Hornby Island despite the bigger boots we’ll have to wear.
What makes the perfect kitchen?
Getting down to brass tacks: what makes the perfect kitchen?
Perhaps it’s a bit early for this level of detail, but Michael seems to want/need to know specifics because it ties directly into how you want to live. As he asked us early on: do you live to eat or do you eat to live?
Easy answer: we live to eat. Which is to say, the kitchen is an important room.
The first thing that pops into my head is wanting two ovens, probably wall mounted. Not that it’s happened too often in the past, but it can be irritating when you want to cook two different things at two different temperatures at the same time. Think turkey dinner.
The second thing is the dishwasher. Typically, the “whisper quiet” claims are only true compared to a freeway. However, in our last two places, we went with the Miele brand and it truly was a joy from a sound perspective. Also, it had the greatest ability to clean and had a top flat tray for the cutlery. Brilliant use of space!
We went to the Miele showroom and were awed by all of the appliances. However, two things are scaring us: the price and the serviceability on a semi-remote location. We’ll have to check out other manufacturers and see if the same attributes can be had that counteract those concerns. Perhaps Kenmore could do the trick?
Stove: it seems time to take the plunge and go for induction rather than electric or gas. It’s a flat surface and the cooking is as rapid as gas. It doesn’t get hot except for the special pots that are required. Apparently the amount of energy required is much less.
Fridge: don’t really have too much love for any one particular kind that we’ve seen. We had a big SubZero at our last place and it was okay. We should be able to save a few pennies there.
Asking people what they would like in a kitchen, my sister, Julie, chimed in with counters that are at various levels depending on the function. For example, when you’re chopping vegetables, you want it lower. She had a couple of other scenarios which I forget now…
Sinks: John prefers ceramic over stainless steel. I’m easy either way. Having a sink out in the utility/mud room is important for cleaning vegetables from the garden before coming in.
Island: probably, for company to sit at and chat.
Floor surface: probably stone tile including the radiant heating.
Once again, lighting is an important consideration. There’s nothing worse than working at the counter with the light beyond you and casting shadows. At the place he’s just finishing, Michael has designed in a narrow skylight right above the counters. Great idea! As well, for when it’s dark out, he’s a stickler for lots of well-placed and direct lighting.
Cabinetry: we’re considering whether to have them custom built by Michael or install something pre-manufactured, such as IKEA. Need to consider further.
I loved the pantry in our previous condo, and this will be a strong element of the utility room. More on that in another post.
Over to you: what’s one thing that you have and love, or wish you had, in a kitchen?
